LOS ANGELES, Dec. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- When you search through RealtyPin's Mortgage Center, you'll be amazed at all of the loan options that pop up. But you can't just pick a lender at random. After all, this is your mortgage we're talking about! If you're going to commit the next 15 or 30 years of your life to paying off a home loan, you've got to have the very best lender you can find. Here's how you narrow down all of the choices:

1. Ask questions before you fill out an applicationThere's no rule that says you have to start the formal loan process before you can talk to anyone! So, pick up the phone (or, head to your local bank branch in person) to get some basic information. You'll be able to tell a lot about a lender by the way they deal with you. If, for example, the lender won't give you the time of day, that's a major red flag. The same goes for a lender that tries to pressure you into filling out an application right on the spot. Bottom line – a good lender will respect you enough to answer some questions, even if you haven't filled anything out yet. If you don't get good vibes right off the bat, just think of the customer service nightmare you could be in for as a borrower!

2. Don't be afraid to take on the role of interviewerOnce you fill out an application and it comes time for your interview, don't think of it solely as a one-way street. Sure, it's the lender's job to learn a lot about you (after all, you're asking to borrow hundreds of thousands of dollars!). However, you have a right to learn about them, as well. So, don't be afraid to ask them questions, too. Like what? Find out who will service your loan, what happens if the appraisal comes in too low, and what happens if your rate lock expires before you close on the loan. All of these are legitimate questions that you need answers to before you sign on the dotted line.

3. Focus on three things – rates, points, and feesWhen you compare lenders, you're going to have a ton of numbers thrown at you. In most cases, though, you can disregard the taxes and the insurance because those two figures are going to be pretty much the same from lender to lender. That leaves you with three numbers to compare – the rates, the points, and the fees. All of those numbers can vary widely from lender to lender, so you'll have to calculate carefully.You'll also have to take all of them into consideration together, because they all affect one another. (For example, a lower rate can be balanced out with higher points, and vice versa.)

When building large, cloud-based applications that operate at a high scale, it's important to maintain a high availability and resilience to failures. In order to do that, you must be tolerant of failures, even in light of failures in other areas of your application. "Fly two mis...

Machine learning has taken residence at our cities' cores and now we can finally have "smart cities." Cities are a collection of buildings made to provide the structure and safety necessary for people to function, create and survive. Buildings are a pool of ever-changing performa...

With 10 simultaneous tracks, keynotes, general sessions and targeted breakout classes, @CloudEXPO and DXWorldEXPO are two of the most important technology events of the year. Since its launch over eight years ago, @CloudEXPO and DXWorldEXPO have presented a rock star faculty as w...